The Winter 2023 anime season is drawing to a close, and fans are eager to dive right into the Spring 2023 season, which has some truly remarkable new anime series to explore. Several popular manga series are finally hitting the airwaves as brand-new anime, including the drama idol manga Oshi no Ko, written by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari.
Oshi no Ko may have Kaguya-sama: Love Is War's author at the helm, but Akasaka's newest manga/anime franchise is a totally different beast than the romantic battle of wits between Miyuki and Kaguya. Oshi no Ko is a fascinating, emotionally tense, honest and often brutal inside look into the world of Japanese pop idols and acting, all told from a partial isekai viewpoint.
The Plot of Oshi no Ko
Oshi no Ko is a drama series that peeks behind the curtain of the huge and ruthless world of Japanese pop idols and acting, including child actors. In fact, Oshi no Ko is actually several stories in one, all expertly blended together to create a unique narrative style in modern manga/anime. The story's focus on pop idols merely sets the stage for the more personal plot threads involving a quest for revenge, teens struggling to create their own identity and even partial isekai elements.
The protagonist, a rural doctor named Dr. Gorou, is reincarnated as Aqua Hoshino, the newborn son of his favorite pop idol, the ultra-popular Ai Hoshino. However, Gorou's new life with his favorite pop idol mother soon takes a dark turn, and he and his twin sister Ruby must decide what's more important -- building up their new lives or seeking revenge for what's about to happen to their family. Along the way, both Aqua and Ruby must grow up in the entertainment world, where tricky romances, butting heads with producers, and all kinds of angst are the norm -- a clever deconstruction of the seemingly perfect, colorful world of pop idols.
Oshi no Ko's Official Trailer
The most recent trailer for Oshi no Ko promptly introduces the hapless protagonist, Dr. Gorou, who fawns over his hospital's newest patient, Ai Hoshino the pop idol herself. The trailer begins on a cheerful and innocent note, focusing on the outwardly wholesome and lovable side of the idol industry, all while cleverly hiding the darkness underneath. The trailer doesn't spoil any of the major plot twists that set the story into motion, but given how Kaguya-sama's famed writer Aka Akasaka wrote Oshi no Ko, even new fans can be sure that this anime won't be as innocent and straightforward as it seems on the surface.
The Oshi no Ko trailer also sets up the Hoshino family, including the twin brother and sister Aqua and Ruby, who appear as infants and as toddlers, along with the child actor Kana Arima, who's around their age. The trailer concludes on an exciting note, showing Ai the young idol mother in the middle of a dazzling performance, while a hooded figure gestures dramatically in the moonlight, hinting at how this series will strongly contrast the mingled light and darkness of the idol industry.
Oshi no Ko's Anime Release Date
The Oshi no Ko anime was announced months ago, but only recently was a launch date confirmed: April 12, 2023, partway into the Spring 2023 anime season. Anime studio Doga Kobo will animate the Oshi no Ko series, and the anime is set to stream on the HIDIVE platform in the West. Fittingly, the anime will feature the song "Idol" by the musical superduo Yoasobi.
Interested fans can also check out the Oshi no Ko manga, which is currently releasing new chapters. The Manga Plus app/website has the entire series, with the first six chapters and the six most recent ones free for anyone to read. All chapters in between can be viewed once each on the app. Fans can also find the Oshi no Ko manga for sale at online retailers, with the first print volume available in the West and Volume 2 set to release on May 23, 2023. Retailers such as Barnes & Noble, for example, have the first volume of Oshi no Ko available in both print and digital formats.